NFS Form 10-900 (7-81)

NO. 1024-0018 12/3-1/84

United States Department off the InteriorNational Park Service

National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination FormSee instructions in How to Complete National Register FormsType all entries complete applicable sections _____________

1. Namehistoric Center Point Covered Bridge

and/or common

2. Location f f

street & number r-lto^t^^Q^ixd not for publication

city, town Center Point }/ \ c-» % vicinity of

state West Virginia code 54 county Doddridge code 017

3. ClassificationCategory

districtbuilding(s)

X structure siteobject

Ownershippublic

X privateboth

Public Acquisitionin processbeing considered

N/A

StatusN/A occupied

unoccupiedwork in progress

Accessibleyes: restricted

X yes: unrestrictedno

Present Useagriculturecommercialeducationalentertainmentgovernmentindustrialmilitary

museumparkprivate residencereligiousscientific

_X _ transportation other:

4. Owner of Propertyname Doddridge County Historical Society

street & number B°x 23

city, town West Union vicinity of state West Virginia 26456

5. Location of Legal Descriptioncourthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Doddridge County Courthouse

street & number

city, town West Union state West Virginia

6. Representation in Existing SurveysWest Virginia Historic Covered Bridge Survey has this property been determined eligible? yes no

date 1979 federal state county local

depository for survey records Historic Preservation Unit. Cultural Center, Capitol Complex

city, town Charleston state West Virginia

Condition Check one Check one-X-excellent __ deteriorated _H_ unaltered _£- original site

S JW* ruins __ altered __ moved date fair __ unexposed

Describe the present and original (iff known) physical appearance

The Center Point Covered Bridge is 12.6 feet wide and is 42.1 feet in length. It has board-and-batten siding and a sheet metal roof.

The trussesareeof the patented Long type, and have 4 panels, each 12 feet high and having an average length of 10 feet^-4 inches. Each panel has two-4x8 inch diagonals angled toward the centerpost, and a 4x6 inch single diagonal, fitting between and pinned to the double diagonals, sloping away from the center- post. The diagonals fit flush against the top and bottom chord, which consists of two-4x8 inch and two-5xll% inch members, and the single diagonals, protrude through and are pinned to the top and bottom chord.

Deterioration of the Center Point Covered Bridge reached a serious level by autumn, 1981. The main source of difficulty was the bottom chord on the downstream truss which was broken. As the result of this failure the entire bridge racked sideways, listing in the downstream direction. Other restoration problems included several faulty floor beams and water damage to major truss timbers from the leaky roof.

Restoration, beginning in autumn 1981, and ending in June 1982, was carefully carried out following acquisition of the bridge by the Doddridge Historical Society. The work was inspected by the noted historic bridge authority, Dr. Emory L. Kemp, West Virginia University, and approved.

Restoration work was undertaken on the roof which was replaced with a duplicate standing seam sheathing= Bottom chord replacement on the downstream side was accomplished when piling systems were placed beneath the superstructure to shore up the^structure during the restoration phase. Missing boards and battens were replaced and the bridge siding was repaired. No alterations to structural features were necessary, and replacement of several timber pieces was accomplished with the substitution of new wood of correct dimensions and type.

The Center Point Covered Bridge spans Pikes Fork at the end of 34 now-unused access road. The setting is appropriate to the rustic integrity of the bridge as low vegetation and mowed fields allow for an unobscured view in all directions. While the bridge is no longer used for regular vehicular traffic, it is occasionally used by local farm vehicles (tractors, haywagons) and pedestrians. The bridge's primary role is to remind the residents of Doddridge County of the beauty of a once-common engineering phenomenon - the American timbered covered bridge-and to focus attention on the benefits of a community-wide historic preservation effort.

8. SignificancePeriod Areas off Significance Check and justify below

prehistoric archeoloav-orehistoric community olannina1400-14991500-15991600-16991700-1799

JL_ 1800-18991900-

archeology-historic conservationagriculturearchitectureartcommercecommunications

economicseducation

X engineeringexploration/settlementindustryinvention

landscape architecture religionlaw scienceliteraturemilitarymusicphilosophypolitics/government

sculpturesocial/humanitarian theater

X transportationother (specify)

Specific dates c> 1889__________Builder/Architect Attributed to: T.W. Ancell &E. Underwood

Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) John Ash and S.H. Smith

The Center Point Govered Bridge is significant because it is one of only 17 Covered bridges remaining in West Virginia. It is the remnant of a unique and once flourishing engineering form - the American timbered covered bridge. Such bridges once carried a huge volume of the traffic in rural areas and small towns of America. It was the timber truss mode of covered bridges (such as Center-Point's Long system of 4"x" panels) that gave rise to the all metal truss bridge that is also recognized as an American contribution to world engineering. The Center Point Covered Bridge is significant to Doddridge County, in particular-, as the only remaining covered bridge in the county.

On July 13, 1888, the Doddridge County Court ordered that G.W. Ice be appointed a commissioner to supply specifications for a bridge to span the Middle Fork of McElroy Greek in the McGlellan District. Ice was also ordered to advertise and let out the contract for building the bridge and to superintend the construction (1). The records indicate that T.W. Ancell and E. Underwood built abutments and John Ash and S.H. Smith built superstructures for at least two bridges in the McClellan District. The following expenditures were listed in the court records:

From the County Treasury

December 19, 1888

"T.W. Ancell on contract for building abutments forbridge in MeClellan District" $150.00

January 23, 1889

"John Ash...use H. Ash bridge contract McClellan" $ 50.00

From the District Road Treasury

"T.W. Ancell and E. Underwood...for mason work onbridge at Center Point McClellan District" $826.24

"John Ash and S.H. Smith...carpentry work atbridges at Center Point McClellan District" (2) $180.00

1. Road Record Etc. #1, Doddridge County Court, pp. 63,66,76,300.

2. Commissioners Record #2, Doddridge County Court, pp. 76,81,91.

3. Deed Book, Doddridge County Court, Book 176, p. 664 and Book 186 p. 593,

10. Geographical DataAcreage of nominated property Not applicable Quadrangle name Ce.nf.pir Pnlnf UMT References

Quadrangle scale 1:24000

is n nZone Easting

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18 in I L 11 k IQ IR 14 i? Northing

> > 1

iEasting Northing

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Fill Mil i i I , I , ,Hlil I I i I i , I 1,1,1

Verbal boundary description and justification Spanning Pikes Fork Creek 50 f south of Co. Rt. 10 on the old (abandoned) acess road and 200 f east of the intersection of Co.Rt. 10 and Co. Rt. 23; includes only the bridge superstructure, stone abutments, and space beneath the bridge inclusive of the immediate water surface and floor of Pikes Fork Creek, a______ List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries

state___N/A_____________code___ county code

state code county code

11. Form Prepared By

name/title Rodney S.Collins, Architectural HistorianHistoric Preservation Unit

organization Department of. Culture & History date April 27, 1983

street & number Cultural Center, Capitol Complex telephone 304/ 348-0240

city or town state West Virginia 25305

12. State Historic Preservation Officer CertificationThe evaluated significance of this property within the state is:

__ national _X state __ local

As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89- 665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the National JF^ark Service.//—1State Historic Preservation Officer signature

title State Historic Preservation Officer July 13, 1983

NPS Form 10-900-a (7-81)

United States Department of the InteriorNational Park Service

National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form

Center .Point Covered Bridge, Doddridge County, West Virginia Continuation sheet Item number 8 Page

Another bridge was to have been built in 1880 "across the Middle Fork of McElroy Creek near the residence of George Cumber! edge". The contract for this bridge was reported sold for $114.95 on December 17, 1879. Comparing the total cost of construction of this bridge with that of the superstructure of the 48 foot covered bridge over Paw Paw Creek in Marion County, which was built at about the same time for a cost of $260.00, would seem to indicate that the bridge near Cumberledge's was a fairly small bridge, most certainly smaller than the present bridge at Center Point. The cost of the bridge that was to be near the Cumberledge residence does not seem to apply to the present Center Point bridge, and IP : other references were found which pertain to the construc­ tion of bridges at the Center Point location. Therefore, it is surmised that the f ormeruhistory "includes reference tortheipresent Center Point Bridge

The Center Point Bridge, built according to the system patented by Stephen Long in 1830, is significant because it preserves in its form and structural system an engineering landmark rare in the locale. Because of the bridge's long life there also has been a positive effect on the stability of the rural farming community in the McClellan District of Doddridge County.

0MB NO. 1024-001NPS Form 10-900-a (7-81)

United States Department of the InteriorNational Park Service

National Register of Historic Places—— Inventory—Nomination Form

Center Point Covered Bridge, Doddridge County, West Virginia

Continuation sheet Item number Page

#9 Major Bibliographical References

4. Kemp, Emory L., PhD. West Virginia Historic Covered Bridge Survey, 1979, Historic Preservation Unit, Department of Culture and History.

//10 Geographical Data

Verbal boundary description and justification -

tributary of McElroy Creek.

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Property naines center Point Covered Bridge ,\_. :> Location Spanning Pikes Fork, Co. Rt. 10 at Co.

Rt.23, Center Point, Doddridge Co., . • - WV. ••"•• " " : v •••"" ','•'"-.--" :: ;

Photo credit: Doddridge Co.unty Historical""Spcietj Date of photo: Nov. 1982 . . ;.\ Negative filed at: Dspt. of Culture S

Historic Preservation Oait, The Colttiral Center, Capitol Complex, Charleston, WV 2

Description, of photo? .

• Side(south) ^elevation ' . • " _ :

Direction of photo s Looking North ,'!".••

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nans: Center Point Covered Bridge t,oc£ition: Spanning Pikes Fork, Co.Rt. 10 at Co.

Rt. 23, Center Point, Doddridge Co., WV.

?hoto credit: Doddridge County Historical Society Date of photo: Nov - 1982 '' - - Negative filed at: Dept. of Culture a History

Historic Preservation Chit, Tn*e Ctiltural Center Capitol Complex, Charleston, WV 25305

Ascription of photo:

Southeast elevation

irection of photo: Looking Northwest